The mother of a 24-year-old Commerce City woman killed in a crash after a high-speed chase with two Denver Police Department officers is suing them for wrongful death and negligence, according to a complaint filed in Denver District Court last week.
Cassandra Livingston was killed in a crash the night of Oct. 27, 2022, after she fled from Denver Officers Matthew Prell and Jonathan Hayes.
Prell and Hayes started a high-speed chase of Livingston’s black Kia Soul after she drove away from a 7-Eleven at 7676 E. Colfax Ave.. They started pursuing the car because Kia Souls are “commonly stolen vehicles,” according to the complaint filed on behalf of Livingston’s mother, Tillie McHone.
The patrol car drove by Ashley Middle School going 68 mph and near Syracuse and 23rd avenues at 76 mph, the complaint claims.
Livingston crashed into a tree in the 2400 block of Roslyn Street and was later pronounced dead.
Prell and Hayes initially denied that they pursued the Kia Soul, according to the complaint and a DPD disciplinary report.
McHone did not know about the chase until a January news story by a Denver television station, according to the complaint filed by Denver law firm The Viorst Law Offices on June 3.
Hayes and Prell were suspended from the police department for 40 days for engaging in a pursuit and 30 days for making misleading statements after a disciplinary hearing in December, according to DPD records. The suspensions ran concurrently.
The complaint claims Prell and Hayes were negligent and contributed to Livingston’s death, failing their duty of care to Livingston by initiating a high-speed chase through a densely populated area.
Their actions caused McHone economic damages as well as pain and suffering, emotional distress and loss of quality of life, the complaint states.
McHone is seeking unspecified damages in the case.
Prell and Hayes are still employed by the Denver Police Department, spokesperson Doug Schepman said Tuesday. Schepman declined to comment on the case, citing the pending litigation.
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